Lord Sri Subramanya is regarded as a popular deity in Hindu religion and is worshipped by people all over the country specifically in parts of South India. Lord Subramanya is considered to be the son of Lord Shiva and it is also believed that Subramanya was the commander-in-chief of the army of Gods and he was the one who killed the demon Tharakasura. Lord Subramanya is also popularly known as Shanmukha, Karthikeya, Saravanabhava, Skanda etc.Guha is also one of the many names of Lord Subramanya because he is also regarded as the Lord who resides in caves and mountains are the abode of Lord Subramanya. There are innumerable temples in India dedicated to Lord Subramanya and some of them are pilgrim centers renowned as Subramanyam Kshetras. A temple of such significance is located at Ghati in Karnataka state about 60k from Bangalore.
Ghati is a Sanskrit word which means a plot. A serpent’s hood bear a resemblance to a pot and Ghati is the place where Lord Subramanya lived in the form of Ghata Sarpa. As per the records, the temple at Ghati Subramanyam Kshethra consists of a history of more than 600 years and was first built by Ghorpade. The rare and self-originated idol of Lord Subramanya was unearthed by king Ghorpade with the help of local residents as per the instructions of Lord Subramanya himself. According to Sthala Purana, Ghati is the place where Lord Subramanya executed sacrament in the disguise of a serpent inside the caves in the mountain ranges of the area before slaying the demon Tharakasura. Lord Subramanya also summoned protection from Lord Lakshmi Narasimha for the serpentine clan from Garuda’s scare in Ghati. Garuda is the sacred mount of Lord Vishnu and is considered to be an enemy of Serpentine tribe.
Some of the important facts about the Subramanya temple
- People tend to offer prayers to a serpent knoll that is present outside the temple.
- Milk is also offered on a regular basis to the serpent knoll as it is believed to soothe the Gods.
- Snakes shaped on to stones which are also termed as Nagappa are seen under a huge Peepal tree and devotees pray for favours they require at this spot.
- Multi hooded snake’s silver idol is also clearly visible near the supreme deity.